


Painful Truth

by BeautifulCreature



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Banter, Case Fic, Crying, Fever Dreams, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Literal Sleeping Together, Mental Breakdown, Nightmares, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Plot, Protective Emily, Sick Hotch, Sickfic, Stubborn Hotch, Team as Family, Vomiting, implied PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-20 03:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7388596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautifulCreature/pseuds/BeautifulCreature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron Hotchner has never asked for help from anyone. Emily Prentiss is tired of watching him work himself to death. She will do anything to help him, no matter how much it annoys him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a long time since I have posted anything Criminal Minds related. I'm very sorry about that. MARVEL has pretty much abducted me over the past two years and that is the reason for my absence in this fandom (I'm sorry). I think vulnerable!Hotch is adorable and I love the pair of Hotch/Prentiss, so this is what that will be. Emily doesn't show her maternal side much, therefore it is showcased in this story. I am planning on having twelve chapters (including this one, if it wasn't obvious) and I will update everyday with a new chapter until the end. Hopefully my long absence in this fandom will be made up for with this story.

Emily Prentiss sat at the round table in the conference room, glancing at her boss every few moments. Something had been… off with him lately. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he had been more withdrawn than usual. Something was plaguing him, something only he knew.

For the past couple days, he was in the office well past ten o’clock at night, but was also there in the morning before everyone else too. Prentiss wondered how anyone could spend that much time at work and still stay sane. Especially if it dealt with children, since he had a young one at home too (even though it still would be bad no matter what if children were involved). Emily was torn out of her thoughts when someone’s voice cut through.

“Prentiss?” It was Hotch’s voice.

Emily’s head jerked up quickly, “Yes, sir?”

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind.” Prentiss explained.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, I’m alright.” Emily assured.

**~~**

At the police station in Trenton, New Jersey, Prentiss paid close attention to her unit chief. He started to look more and more tired as the day dragged on. This was very unusual since Hotch was always alert and focused. She glanced over at Hotch and noticed that he was rubbing his temples. He then rubbed his nose slightly, his eyebrows knitting together in frustration.

Aaron pinched his nose shut and jerked forward in what looked like a stifled sneeze. Emily heard a quiet sigh of relief come from her boss, signifying that he did in fact sneeze. This was strange because in all of the years she had known him he had never even had the slightest sniffle. Minutes later he jerked forward with another stifled sneeze, though this time it wasn’t completely silent. _“Hgnxt!!”_

Prentiss got up, walked over to Hotch, and sat down next to him. “Is there anything you’d like me to look for in particular in the files?” She asked.

“Yes, I’d want you to see if there is anything similar between the three victims. This would consist of the places they were before their murders, anything in resemblance between the family members, and anything else you can find.” Aaron explained.

“Alright, I’ll get to work.” Prentiss periodically glanced up at her boss while she was reading the file in front of her. Everything seemed fine until an odd expression came over his face. He pinched his nose shut, jerking forward with a silent sneeze. After that he immediately got back to reading the file in front of him, acting as if nothing had happened.

 _That’s strange,_ Emily thought. Hotch would never let himself show any vulnerability around any member of the team. He had always kept a serious expression on his face, with a pensive gaze. Working with the best profilers in the country would cause a problem with your personal life. Aaron always kept inside his shell to prevent others getting into the information that he wanted to keep private.

Prentiss glanced up again when she saw his sudden movement from the corner of her eye. Hotch pinched his nose shut one again, jerking forward with a silent sneeze. His breath hitched quietly as he snapped forward with a restrained sneeze. _“Huh’PSHH!”_

“Bless you,” Emily offered.

Aaron nodded, “Excuse me.”

Emily opened her mouth to ask him if he was alright, but closed it when she thought better of it. She knew he would claim he was fine and keep doing his work. He could be so stubborn sometimes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if everyone is a bit OC, it's been a while since since writing them.

“Good work today everyone, we’ll pick back up tomorrow at seven a.m. But for now, let’s go check into the hotel and,” Aaron paused briefly, clearing his throat, “And get dinner.” He finished. He felt a prickling sensation in the back of his throat, if he opened his mouth again, he would end up coughing. Hotch cleared his throat again, though the itch only got worse. He had no choice but to bring his fist up to his mouth, coughing slightly. This would have to do before he could drink anything.

Thankfully, no one had noticed. They were all engrossed in their separate little conversations. Hotch guided the team out of the police station and to their SUV’s. Then they were off to the hotel.

Reaching the hotel, Aaron had realized that things might not have been in his favor. The team had to double up, meaning that Hotch would have to share a room with another team member. He wasn’t very fond of the idea, but it had to be done, there wasn’t anything else the hotel management could do.

“I’m not sleeping with Reid, he talks in his sleep.” Morgan announced.

Spencer looked down at the floor, attempting to look like he was deeply hurt. “I don’t talk in my sleep.” He objected.

“If only you could hear yourself. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a decent night’s sleep rooming with you.”

“Boys, behave.” JJ said.

“Hey, sweet cheeks, you wouldn’t be rooming with him anyway. I called dibs on you a long time ago.” Garcia spoke to Derek seductively.

“I can always count on you, baby girl, always.”

“Emily, do you want to be my roommate?” JJ asked.

Prentiss knew that she wanted to keep an eye on Hotch and this would be the perfect opportunity.

“Can we switch it up this time?” She asked politely.

“I guess…” JJ trailed off, disappointment washing over her face.

**~~**

After dinner, the team had settled in their rooms, ready to get some sleep after a long day. Thankfully the rooms had double beds; that was one of the only good parts of sharing rooms. There would at least be some privacy and comfort to each agent.

Emily glanced over at Hotch, who was reading a file, sitting on “his” bed. Deep down she knew that Hotch would try to stay up as long as possible, then go to sleep when he could only get a few hours in. “Hotch?” She called. But he didn’t respond. “Hotch?” She called again.

“Yes?” He asked.

Emily bit her lip; she didn’t know how he was going to respond to her suggestion. “How about you try and get some sleep.”

“Prentiss, I am capable of knowing when I should go to sleep.” Aaron replied firmly.

“But, I mean, you worked all day like the rest of us, your body needs rest.”

“Agent Prentiss, I didn’t ask for your suggestion.” He spoke coldly.

 _“But-“_ She started but he cut her off.

“Go to sleep.” He ordered.

“Fine,” Emily caved. “Goodnight.” She murmured, rolling onto her side away from Hotch.


	3. Chapter 3

Aaron stayed up well past the time Emily went to sleep. Prentiss had told the truth, Hotch was staying up past the time he usually went to sleep. He was exhausting himself day in and out. In the line of work they were in, sleep meant everything. You had to be on top of your game all the time, which required a lot of energy.

Hotch glanced over at Prentiss when he heard he roll over in her sleep, now facing him. She looked so fragile in her sleep, something that was strange to see, especially coming from her. Emily had always put a brave face on, taking things head on.

Hotch knew that he had treated her wrong. She was only concerned and wanted to help, but he didn’t want the attention. He was always so scared about people getting into his business, especially other profilers. But Prentiss wasn’t only his subordinate, she was his friend. Friends don’t treat other friend’s that way. He knew that he had probably hurt her feelings, but he didn’t know how to make it right.

**~~**

Aaron glanced at the clock on the bedside table, twelve a.m. He could feel himself fully drain of energy. There was a deep throbbing in his head that made staying up even worse. He decided that it probably was time to quit and at least attempt to get a few hours of sleep.

**~~**

Jerking awake, Hotch gazed around the room, remembering where he was and why he was there. He rubbed his hands over his face, glancing at the clock, four-thirty a.m. Hotch trudged into the bathroom, though careful enough to not make too much noise for the sake of Emily sleeping.

Standing in front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection. He noticed the dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he wasn’t getting enough sleep. His pale complexion, he was naturally pale, though this time, it was more than usual. Overall, he just looked plain tired.

“Hotch?” Emily called sleepily, walking near the bathroom door, running a hand through her messy hair, squinting at the bright light.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, startled by her sudden appearance.

“Why are you up, it’s four-thirty in the morning?” She asked.

Hotch sighed, “I couldn’t sleep.” He wasn’t exactly lying.

“Oh, Hotch, you need to at least try and get some sleep.”

“I guess…” He trailed off.

“Come on,” Prentiss said, leading the way back into the bedroom.

Aaron laid down, facing away from Emily. He was focused on trying to take deep breaths, thinking that maybe this would relax his body enough to fall asleep. Though taking deep breaths let a gateway for his sinuses to gain a nagging itch.

He took a sharp intake of breath, stifling a harsh sneeze. _“Hgnxt!!”_

But even stifled, Prentiss was still coherent enough to hear it, “Bless you.” She murmured.

Hotch knew that in order to keep from everyone on the team knowing that something was wrong, he had to step up his game. He was Aaron Hotchner after all, and he was going to fight until he could fight no more.


	4. Chapter 4

Emily’s alarm on her phone went off at six a.m. precisely. She ran a hand through her messy hair, yawning quietly. Glancing to her left, she found her boss still asleep; an unusual sight. Hotch was usually up before everyone else, with the exception of Rossi.  
She desperately wanted to let him sleep. He looked so vulnerable in his sleep. For once she had seen something different than the mask he wore. There was nothing but peace and comfort showing on his face. But, she had to wake him up. There was a case they needed to solve.

Prentiss shook his arm gently, “Hotch,” She called. He didn’t so much as stir, “Hotch,” She called again. He stirred and opened his eyes, “It’s time to get up.” She spoke in a soothing voice.

Aaron suppressed a groan, but because he didn’t want to get up, but because he had let himself sleep past normal time. Plus, it didn’t help that one of his agent’s had to wake him up.

~~

“Good morning, Hotch." Reid spoke quickly.

“Morning.” Hotch replied, clearing his throat.

“Could you pour any more sugar into that cup of coffee, Kid?” Morgan asked, gazing at the cup on the counter.

“I’m watching how much I’m putting in.” Spencer said.

“How have you not had a sugar overdose yet?”

“I don’t eat sugar.”

“It looks like you do.” Derek quipped.

“I don’t.” Reid insisted.

“Behave. This is the second time in two days.” JJ spoke firmly, raising her eyebrows at both men.

“Sorry,” Spencer mumbled, looking down at his feet.

“By the way, Hotch wants us all to meet in the bullpen.” JJ announced.

~~

“JJ-Reid, go to the morgue to find out details about the latest victim. Prentiss-Rossi, go talk to the victim’s family and see if they found anything unusual on the day of the victim’s kidnapping.” A frown appeared on Emily’s face; he was trying to avoid her. “Garcia, dig into the victim’s personal information. Finally, Morgan and I will go to the dumpsite.” Hotch announced to the team.

~~

Reaching the dumpsite, Hotch and Morgan got out of the car. The sudden temperature change from the car to outside made Aaron’s sinuses itch. He focused on taking deep, even breaths. His breath hitched once, catching the attention of Morgan. Hotch felt his agent’s eyes on him. He squared his shoulders, placing his normal serious expression back on his face.

“There was a definite sign of remorse.” Morgan said, breaking the silence.

“From the way Anabele was placed, the Unsub obviously didn’t want anyone to find her.” Hotch added.

“But there’s no indication of how he got her out here. There are no tire tracks, drag marks, or blood spatter anywhere.” Derek replied,

“How would someone carry another human being without any other help?”

“If that’s the case, he might have had a partner.” Hotch suggested, “Another person to level out the weight of the body would make her easier to carry.”

Something in the distance caught Morgan’s eye, walking near it, he moved the leaves that were on top of it, “A wallet." He confirmed, “There’s nothing in it, but we should have it checked for prints. Maybe the Unsub messed up.” When Hotch didn’t respond, Morgan looked over at him, finding Aaron pinching his nose shut with his thumb and forefinger. He jerked forward twice with two silent sneezes. “Bless you,” Derek said.

Hotch nodded, “Excuse me."

“So, as I was saying, we should have this checked for finger prints.”

“It’s not uncommon for Unsubs to become sloppy as the murders go on.” Hotch said.

“Anything can become a stresser for them. If that happens, they will become sloppy because they will only want to get the murder over with. It won’t matter who finds the body, or what they leave behind.” Morgan added.

“This could cause them-“ Hotch stopped abruptly when he sneezed again suddenly, barely having time to bring his hands to his face. “ _Huh’PSH’iew_!!” He blinked a few times, dazed by the sudden sneeze.

“Bless you." Derek said.

“Thank you, excuse me."

“Are you okay?” Morgan asked, concern etched on his face.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” Aaron apologized,

“Why don’t we go back to the police station and see what JJ and Reid found.”

“Alright."

~~

“There were bruises and rope burn’s on Anabele’s wrists’ and ankles’, indicating that she had been tied up. Probably in a confined space because her Vitamin D levels were very low. She didn’t suffer that much, she died fairly quickly from six stab wounds to her abdomen. But what I find strange it that there were two different knives used in the process.” Spencer rattled off the facts.

“Which makes me think that there was a partner involved." JJ added.  
Hotch felt his head spin with all of the new information being thrown at him. His head throbbed, which made it worse all together. Plus, there was a constant itch in his sinuses. The triple threat.

“It makes sense, why would someone use two knives on a victim when they were all alone?” Reid asked.

Aaron felt the itch in his sinuses get worse by the second. He took deep breaths to ward off the sneeze, though it was no use, he was going to sneeze. Hotch pinched his nose shut, jerking forward with a stifled sneeze. “ _Hgnxt_!” Once he let go of his nose he realized that it was a bad decision, the itch surged again and he jerked forward once again with a restrained sneeze. “ _Huh’PSHH_!!”

“Bless you." JJ and Reid said in unison.

Hotch nodded, “Excuse me."

This situation was turning out to be great, as his agents were beginning to notice the symptoms of the cold he was desperately trying to hide.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment with any constructive criticism or anything you desire.

Through the rest of the day, Hotch managed to not “embarrass” himself in front of any other member of the team, obviously by his standards. Though, he could feel himself starting to lose the battle. Every day he felt more and more tired, it seemed if it was impossible for him to feel well rested. His head throbbed constantly. There was almost always an itch in his sinuses, and a scratchy feeling in his throat.

By the time everyone went back to the hotel for the night, Hotch was absolutely exhausted. When he and Emily got into the hotel room, he didn’t even attempt to do any work. Aaron changed into sweats and a sweatshirt and crawled into bed. It didn’t matter of Prentiss was watching him or not, he could care less at the moment. He only buried himself under the covers and fell into a restless sleep.

**~~**

Emily awoke with a start when she heard a loud, sudden noise. She glanced to her left, finding Hotch sitting on “his” bed. His hands were cupped around his nose and mouth as he jerked forward with two sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSH’iew!!!”_ He blinked a few times, then jerked forward again with another two sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSSH’iew!!!”_ He sniffled wetly afterward, not moving his hands from his face.

Prentiss got the message. She walked into the bathroom, finding a box of tissues on the counter. Walking out she pulled a few tissues out and handed them to her boss, placing the box on the bedside table. She waited for him to blow his nose, then asked,

“Bless you, are you okay?”

Hotch nodded, “Yes, thank you,” His voice was beginning to sound hoarse.

Emily glanced at the digital clock; it was two a.m. “Just try to get some more sleep.” She said softly.

“Okay,” Aaron sighed, getting back under the covers.

**~~**

As the morning was going on, Hotch was drinking more and more coffee. His energy was drained, and his limbs felt heavy. His body ached as well as his head. He desperately wanted to sleep for days and not get up, even then, he thought he’d still end up tired.

“Hotch,” Rossi called. But Hotch didn’t respond, staring down at the table they were sitting at. “Aaron,” He called again, once again, no response. “Aaron.”

Hotch jerked his head up, clamping a hand over his mouth, “I think I’m going to be sick,” He moaned, rushing off towards the police station’s bathroom.

Rossi sighed deeply, he had sensed something was wrong. Ever since the case started he had been off. Dave knew that something was wrong the moment Hotch walked into the police station that morning. He had looked tired, and even showed signs of being unfocused. Something very rare for the younger man.

Walking into the men’s room, Rossi found Hotch leaning against the wall, sweat covering his forehead. “Please let me bring you back to the hotel, Aaron.”

Hotch took a deep breath, “No, I’ll be fine,” He insisted.

“You need to get some rest.”

“I said I’ll be fine.” Hotch snapped.

“Aaron, you can’t neglect your health like this.”

“Dave, I’m fine.” Hotch insisted once again.

“You-” Rossi started, but Hotch cut him off.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Aaron growled.

“This is about Haley, isn’t it?” Rossi asked.

“What?” Hotch asked, caught off guard by the older man’s question.

“What happened with Haley?”

“This has nothing to do with her.”

“You haven’t talked to her or about her in a while.” Dave said.

“This is none of your business.” Aaron stated, his face becoming more serious as time went on.

“Something happened.”

“Nothing happened. Get out of my business.”

“Aaron, I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me.” Rossi ordered.

“You don’t have authority over me.”

“This has nothing to do with authority, Hotch. I’m doing this because I’m your friend and I care about you.”

“Nothing happened. This conversation is over. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said one chapter a day, but I got something ready and decided to post it now.

As the day dragged on, Hotch could feel himself getting more and more irritated. The question Rossi asked had hit a nerve. Aaron didn’t feel like it was acceptable for a member of his team to dig into his business like that.

But everything halted to an abrupt stop when Reid was rattling off facts as quickly as always. Hotch’s head hurt and the last thing he wanted to hear was someone constantly talking. He placed his head in his hands, “Reid, please stop talking.” He ordered as nicely as he possibly could.

“But, Hotch-“ Reid started, but Hotch cut him off.

“Reid, I’m serious.” Hotch mustered his best glare at the younger man.

“Aaron,” Rossi warned.

“No. He needs to learn when to be quiet.” He could feel his irritation boiling up, it wouldn’t be long until it boiled over.

“He’s telling us facts about the case.” Rossi stated, “Let him talk.”

Hotch was aware that the other members of the team were staring at the both of them, but at the moment, he wasn’t thinking straight. “Don’t tell me what to fucking do.” He grumbled, walking off towards an office they were allowed to use for work and slammed the door.

Everyone was wide-eyed, except Rossi. He knew this would happen. Emily, breaking the silence said, “I think I should go talk to him.”

“Don’t, let him cool off.” Rossi said.

“What the hell was that about?” Morgan asked, surprised about how his boss reacted.

“I honestly don’t know,” Dave sighed. Though he sort of had a clue.

Spencer stared down at the floor, “I should’ve stopped talking.” He murmured.

JJ placed her hand on Reid’s back, rubbing it soothingly, “Spence, you had nothing to do with this.” She spoke gently.

“But I annoyed him.”

“Spencer, he was just in a bad mood.”

**~~**

After a little while, Emily ventured into the office that she saw Hotch go into. Opening the door, she found the lights off. The only light was coming from the window. “Hotch,” She called. He was sitting with his back to her, staring out the window. “Hotch,” She called again. He didn’t respond once again.

Prentiss walked towards him, when she noticed something that shattered her heart. His eyes were blank, no emotions showed in them. There were a few stray tears running down his face. It seemed like he didn’t even acknowledge that she was standing next to him. She couldn’t help but place her hand on his back, whispering, “Oh, Hotch,”

Though the physical contact made him rush to wipe his tears, turning to look at her. “Sorry,” He apologized quickly, “What do you need?”

“What happened before?” She asked, attempting to get an answer from him.

“Nothing,” He replied meekly.

Emily frowned. He was trying to hide the truth. It concerned her more than shocked her. “Hotch, just tell me the truth. There’s no one else her but us. It’s not like you have to hide. I’m not going to judge you.”

“Can we please just drop the subject?” He part asked and ordered.

Prentiss opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it, thinking better of her. “Okay,” She sighed. He had closed back up again. There was no possible way for her to find out the truth now. Well, not for long at least.

**~~**

Aaron woke up with a start, gasping for air. He coughed harshly into his fist, the deep breath having irritated his throat. After a few seconds, he could feel himself starting to gag. He clamped a hand over his mouth, rushing towards the bathroom, feeling the vomit rise up his throat. Reaching the toilet he retched three times, his body trembling with the force.

Emily woke up suddenly, hearing an unusual noise. She glanced to her left, finding Hotch’s bed empty. Walking into the bathroom, she found him sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, sweat covering his forehead. She crouched down next to him, “Oh, Aaron,” She called him by his first name, something she had never done before.

She soon found out that he had vomited, flushing the toilet, careful not to pay that much attention. Prentiss, helped him stand up, which he did weakly. “Back to bed,” She said, guiding him back into the bedroom. Once she got him into the bed, she sat next to him. She gently brushed her hand through his hair, attempting to comfort him. He seemed to out of it to do anything about it.

Emily still continued to run her hand through his hair when she heard his breathing even out, meaning he was asleep. “Please feel better.” She whispered. After an hour or so, she felt her eyelids get heavy, closing slowly. She fell into a deep sleep, listening to Hotch’s deep breathing.


	7. Chapter 7

When Emily woke up the next morning, she felt a heaviness on her chest, a penetrating heat. She opened her eyes slowly, finding Hotch’s head laying on her chest, sleeping soundly. Prentiss saw that he had wrapped his arm around her waist. She would have never guessed that he was one to cuddle.

Emily didn’t even attempt to move, worried that even the most subtle movement would wake him. She gently slid her arm from under him, extending it, remembering what it felt like to have a part of her body free. Prentiss felt Hotch stir, then his body tense suddenly. He took a sharp intake of breath, jerking forward with an uncovered sneeze. _“Huh’PSH’iew!!”_ He moved off of her in one swift motion, bringing his hands to his face to cover another sneeze. _“Huh’PSHH!!!”_ Aaron’s breath was still coming in short desperate gasps. He took one final gasp, jerking forward with a final two sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! HUH’PSSH’iew!!!”_

“Bless you,” Prentiss said.

Hotch looked over at her, noticing that she was on the same bed as him. The memory flashed through his mind quickly. He had gotten sick during the night and she was trying to comfort him. He wanted to apologize for how delirious he might have been and that she didn’t need to attempt to comfort him. But he had a dilemma. He didn’t exactly know how to put it into words. The only thing he could muster out was a quiet and rushed, “Sorry,”

Emily didn’t know what he was apologizing for exactly. Was it the fact he was sleeping on her, or because of the sneezing? She just assumed it was for both. The only person who would know what he was thinking was him. Prentiss never knew what he was thinking. He just kept himself so… isolated from the team. Especially now more than ever. And she wanted to know why. Not as his co-worker, but as his friend. It worried her seeing him like this, embarrassed by the simplest things.

**~~**

Prentiss walked away from the police station’s coffee pot, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. She made her way to her boss, placing the cup in front of him on the table. “Here, this will warm your throat.” She said. Hotch only nodded, gazing back down at the file in his hands. “Hotch?” She called.

“Hmm,”

“Why won’t you talk to me?” The words slipped out of her both before she could stop them.

“No reason,” He murmured quietly.

“You’ve been avoiding me since this morning. What’s bothering you?” She asked.

“Nothing.”

“Look at me in the eye and tell me it’s nothing.” Emily ordered.

Hotch did his best to stare into her eyes, “It’s nothing,” He stated.

Prentiss could’ve sworn she saw a look of pain flash through his eyes. Her eyes casted down at the table, focusing on his hands as she saw them clutch around the file. “Aaron, put the file down,” She said. But it seemed like her voice meshed with someone else’s as the sentence was spoken. All her could hear was hers…

Emily saw his bottom lip quiver slightly, his hands trembling with a light force. A single tear rolled down his cheek, dripping down on the table. Then another one, and another. She could see him try to hold the tears back, but it was no use at this point. Prentiss heard a soft whimper come from him as he placed his head in his hands.

Emily stood up quickly, closing the door to the room they were in. She wanted him to have at least some type of privacy from the rest of the life of the station. Aaron let out a strangled sob, his body shaking with the force of emotions. The next sob came out in a sound more like a cry for help than anything else.

Prentiss knew that Hotch wasn’t very fond of physical contact, though at this moment, he needed it more than anything. She pulled her chair over by him, pulling his hands away from his face. There were tears staining his face as he sobbed loudly. Emily pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around his body, feeling his body shake.

She rubbed his back soothingly, whispering, “It’s okay, just let it out.” He was in a lot of pain that she or the team didn’t know about. Hiding it deep inside of himself wasn’t healthy. He would only inflict damage on him, which would push him lower into the hole he had dug from the world. “Shh,” She whispered. She wanted him to trust her. That he could have someone to come to. She was determined to make sure he was taken care of most of all.


	8. Chapter 8

His whole body shook, plagued by the emotions. Emily continued rubbing his back, murmuring soothing words. But something made her heart crack just a little bit. What if what she had said pushed him over the line? What if something she did caused this? Was what she said too out there? Did she cross a boundary?

She was grabbed out of her thoughts when Hotch suddenly tore out of her grasp. Prentiss watched his eyes flutter closed as he jerked forward, sneezing twice into his elbow. _“Huh’PSHH!! Huh’PSH’iew!!!”_ He took a deep breath, attempting to calm down, though he coughed harshly, the sudden large amount of air irritating his throat. Touching his throat, he felt a surge of pain run through it.

“Bless you,” Emily murmured.

“I’m sorry,” Hotch whispered, gazing down at the floor.

“What’s bothering you?” She asked softly.

“Haley…” Hotch squeezed his eyes shut, “and I… got divorced…” He trailed off.

“Oh Hotch,” She murmured sympathetically, feeling her heart shatter. If she had only known that her friend was going through a lot of pain. He had gotten d _ivorced._ She now knew why he was staying at the office so late, and why he was having trouble sleeping.

“I’m a horrible person.” He mumbled.

“No you’re not.” Emily objected.

“I’m the reason why she left. I wasn’t a good husband.”

“Yes, you were. Everyone knows that you loved her deeply and still do.” Prentiss said.

“I was never there. How about Jack? He’s going to grow up knowing that I’m never there and that I was never there.”

Prentiss saw another tear roll down his cheek, “It’s not like we can help it. Our job is very demanding. But you’re helping other people. There’s a meaning to all of this chaos.” She paused, looking at him in the eye. “She’s only afraid that you’ll get hurt. I don’t agree with her decision. She shouldn’t have done something like that. But, she doesn’t hate you.”

A long silence deemed between them until Hotch spoke up, “I don’t know how to do this…”

“Yes you do. Even if you’re not married anymore, you can still be there for her and Jack.”

“I guess,”

“You know,” She corrected, “Hotch, neither I, nor the rest of the team would let you slip. None of us want to see you hurting.”

Emily spoke the truth. She didn’t want to see him hurting.

Hotch glanced up at her, “You mean that?” He seemed surprised.

“Truly.” Prentiss confirmed.

“Thank you…” He trailed off, his eyes becoming unfocused. He turned to the side, pinching his nose shut, jerking forward with two stifled sneezes. _“Hgnxt!! Hgnxt!!!_ Sorry,” He whispered.

“What for?” Emily asked, “Bless you by the way,”

“Helping me,” He said simply.

“It’s no problem, Hotch.”

**~~**

He felt like an idiot. He should’ve been able to deal with it himself. He had practically embarrassed himself in front of a member of his team. What if someone else had seen that, someone with higher authority? What if he was accused of being unfit to run the case? He could’ve gotten himself into a lot of trouble. All because he was too weak.

Unable to take the pain of the world. He had to be alright. He had to be alright. He had to be alright. He needed to be alright. He needed to be focused. It was mandatory for him to be focused. What would someone like Strauss do if they found out that the boss and unit chief of a certain team wasn’t thinking straight? Could his ability to run the team be compromised?

These were thoughts that ran through his head as he stared in the mirror. _Get a grip, Hotchner,_ he thought. He knew that this was all his fault. If he had been around more, Haley wouldn’t have left. If that didn’t happen, he wouldn’t be in this position right now. He knew that Emily had helped, slightly. Though he could play it safe around her. No one knew what he was going through or could help, at the moment. How could they know?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, another second chapter.

“Hotch?” Morgan called, watching the older man gaze at the victim board in front of him.

Hotch turned around, “Yes?”

“I know this isn’t good news, but, they found another body.” Morgan informed.

Aaron felt his heart drop. Another victim, because he was taking too much time thinking of himself.

“Alright,” He sighed.

**~~**

“Her name is Kathrine Peters. She was walking home from a party. The next day her friend tried to get in contact with her, even went to her house. There was no sign of her.” The police chief explained.

“Did any of her neighbors recall seeing her?” Morgan asked.

“No one. They were all asleep.”

“Look at the way her make-up is smeared.” Reid noted.

“The Unsub might’ve attempted to wipe it off.” Morgan suggested.

“Or it could’ve smeared when and if she was crying.” Hotch said.

“That could be a possibility too.” Derek agreed thoughtfully.

“Either way, it shows that the Unsub could care less about what happened to her, but didn’t want to get caught.” Reid added.

“Obviously there’s no sign…” Aaron trailed off, turning away from the other two agents, snapping forward with a restrained sneeze. _“Huh’PSHH!”_ He took a sharp breath, snapping forward once again with an unrestrained, desperate sneeze. _“Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”_ He sniffled a few times, turning back around to face the other men.

“Bless you,” Reid and Morgan said in unison.

Hotch nodded, “Excuse me. As I was saying, there’s no sign of remorse.” He finished.

“Which is strange, since at the other dump site, there was a sign of remorse.” Morgan said.

“This could’ve been a woman who had a resemblance to someone who angered him deeply.” Reid suggested.

“Morgan, call Garcia and find out if she can find any women who died and had the resemblance of Kathrine. I know it’s a little bit broad, but it’s all we have.”

Derek nodded, walking away, calling Garcia.

“All we know so far is that this Unsub has a rage against women with blonde hair. But he doesn’t want to make it known, so he tries hard to hide their bodies.” Spencer said.

“Hopefully Garcia can find something.”

Reid was going to say something else, but stopped when he saw his boss turn away once again, stifling three sneezes. _“Hgnxt! Hgnnxt!! Hgnxxt!!”_

“Bless you,” Reid said.

Aaron snapped forward once again with two more sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”_

“Bless you again,”

“Thank you. Excuse me.”

“Are you okay?” Reid asked, concern etched on his face.

“Yes,” He answered quickly.

Spencer could now hear the congestion in his voice. Was Hotch sick? Or was he fine? Now that he thought of it, he remembered him sneezing a few days earlier when they were talking. It didn’t seem like it was a coincidence for Hotch to sneeze. He didn’t ever sneeze. Reid knew that Emily was rooming with Hotch. Maybe he could ask her. She’d probably know.

**~~**

Reid saw Emily walking in the police station. “Emily!” He called, attempting to get her attention.

Prentiss glanced up, “Yes?” She asked.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” He asked.

“Sure,” They walked into one of the offices they were allowed to use, closing the door. “What do you need?” She asked.

“Has Hotch seemed…off to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is he sick?” Spencer asked after a short silence.

Emily sighed. She didn’t know if she should tell Reid about what was happening with Hotch. She knew he didn’t like people knowing his business or worrying about him. But this time, maybe the others could help her. “Yeah,” She confessed. “For a few days.”

“Why doesn’t he go to the hotel and rest?”

“I don’t know, but please don’t tell any of the others.”

“Why?”

“He’s not going to like the attention.” She said.

“But he’s sick,”

“I wouldn’t bring it up to him.”

“Emily, he can’t push himself while he’s sick. That’s going to weaken his body.” Reid stated.

Prentiss couldn’t stop the words before they slipped out of her mouth, “It’s not only that,”

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked.

“Never mind.” She mumbled.

“Tell me.”

Prentiss sighed deeply, “Hotch and Haley got divorced.” She murmured.

Reid looked shocked, “Is that… is that why he’s been so irritable lately?” He asked.

“Yeah, he’s taking it really hard, as I would too.” Emily said.

“He hasn’t told anyone but you?” He asked.

“No. He doesn’t want anyone worrying about him. He wants the team to be able to do their jobs correctly.”

“I think Rossi might know.”

“Why do you say that?” Prentiss asked.

“He was trying to force something out of him.”

“And you know that how…?”

“I sort of heard them talking for a second when I was getting more coffee. But I didn’t know what they were talking about.” Spencer explained.

“I don’t know how to do this.”

“What?”

“How to help him.” She clarified, “I think he’s trying to avoid me.”

“He’s not used to anyone being worried about him and helping him. He may feel trapped inside of his mind.” Spencer said.

“I know he doesn’t want me to worry about him, but he needs to know that neither I, nor anyone else on this team want to see him hurting.” Emily sighed.

“I know he’ll trust you enough, you’ve seen him in a bad state already. But in order for you to do what you need to do, I tell the team, but tell them not to push any issues.” Reid explained.

“Spencer, thank you.” Prentiss said.

“I know that you want him to open up. It’s the only way for it to work.”

“But thank you again. It will really help.”

**~~**

“Hotch,” Emily called.

“What?” He asked; his voice firm.

Prentiss flinched at how he addressed her, “Try to get some sleep.” She said gently.

“Prentiss, we’ve gone over this before. I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

“Hotch, it will only benefit you. You’ve barely been getting any sleep lately. Your body needs it.” She was standing her ground.

He needed to know what was right.

“Prentiss—” He started, but she cut him off.

“I’m not going to stop until you agree to go to sleep.” She warned, “I’m not going to sit here and watch you beat yourself up. You’re not going to damage yourself.”

“Fine,” He said, not wanting to fight.

“Thank you.”

**~~**

She woke suddenly, not knowing why. She heard his sudden sneeze. _“Huh’PSHH!!”_ Then another, and another. _“Huh’PSHH!!_ _Huh’PSH’iew!!!”_ She then heard the harsh coughing, then three more desperate, wet sneezes. _“Huh’PSh’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!_ _HUH_ _’PSH’iew!!!”_ When she got to the bathroom, he was blowing his nose wetly.

“Bless you,” She mumbled.

Hotch turned around quickly, “Sorry,” He apologized sheepishly.

“You should stay back here in the hotel today.” Emily said.

“I can’t. We have to get the Unsub.” He replied.

“There are other members of this team you know.” Emily quipped.

“But what will you tell them?” Hotch asked.

“Umm… well… I think they already know.” She said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, uh, I told Reid. He was getting suspicious and I had to. But he promised that he would tell the rest of the team to not push any issues.” Prentiss explained.

“But I still have to go.” Hotch said.

“Well, I guess we’ll see how you feel.”

**~~**

When Emily saw Hotch next, she knew he wasn’t alright. (Even though he wasn’t already) He snapped forward into his cupped hands, sneezing twice, _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”_ Next a wet rattling cough shook from his body. He took another sharp breath, snapping forward with two more wet sneezes, _“Huh’PSSH’iew!! Huh’PSSHH’iew!!!”_

“Bless you,” Emily murmured.

Hotch looked up, meeting her eyes. His eyes were glassy, showing how bad he felt.

“You’re not going in today.” She said.

Aaron’s voice was hoarse, “I have to,”

“No, you don’t, and you’re not.”

“I have to,” He repeated, standing up quickly, but swaying dangerously.

Emily grabbed Hotch’s forearm, “Woah,” She helped him sit back down. He turned away slightly, barely covering two wet sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”_ She saw some of the spray in the air. “Bless you,” She said, helping him lay down, “Just go back to sleep,” She said gently.

He nodded slightly, placing his head down on the pillow, closing his eyes. Emily ran her hand through his hair, feeling the sweat on his forehead. After a few minutes, she heard his breathing even out. When she knew he was asleep for sure, she grabbed her cell phone, walking into the bathroom. The only person she could think of calling was Rossi.

“What’s wrong, Emily?” Rossi answered.

“It’s not with me. It’s Hotch.” She said.

“What’s wrong with Aaron?”

“He’s really sick. I think it might be the flu. I obviously can’t have him come in today.” She explained.

Rossi sighed, “I had a feeling this would happen.”

“Why?”

“Did he tell you about him and Haley?” He asked.

“Yeah,”

“He’s pushing himself to hard. He’s beating himself up about Haley.” He said.

“I just want to help him.” Prentiss sighed.

“You are. You will help him. If you need anything, just call me.”

“Alright, thanks.” She replied.


	10. Chapter 10

Emily walked back into the bedroom. She sat on the bed that she called hers, gazing over at her sleeping boss. There was a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead. She wouldn’t doubt that he had a fever of over one hundred degrees. He hadn’t really shown many symptoms until the last two days. She assumed that he was attempting to keep them in check. But he now had to give in to his body. It was demanding the attention.

She sat in silence, listening to his deep breathing. She thought about how distraught he was. And how sad it was that it took sickness for him to admit what was really going on with him. To top it all off, how he felt trapped, thinking that he couldn’t let anyone else help him. That he didn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone else on the team. It struck her hard. The rejection had felt worse than anything else she had been through in her time on the team.

If he hadn’t had the sickness on top of it, how long would he have waited to tell someone? Would he even tell anyone at all? Or would he bottle it up inside? These were all questions that roamed through her mind. They would probably never be answered. And she knew that for a fact.

She felt bad for him. Even though he was hard to deal with (Only because he was an effective boss), and that he could a stick-in-the-mud type person, sometimes mean, and even insulting, she knew deep down that he was a nice person. That he only wanted the best for his team even though they didn’t always agree with his decisions.

Sometimes she forgot that he was human, and that he had emotions too. Sometimes she forgot that he would need help too. It wasn’t until now that she saw the different side of Aaron Hotchner. The side he kept hidden deep down, the side of him that needed someone to be there for him, the side that needed comfort and support. She didn’t know if she was the right person for the job. But she was going to try to be everything that he needed. She was going to try and make him see why it’s okay to call out for help when you need it.

She wanted to make him understand that some people are not out in the world to hurt you, but to help you. He needed help. He had to get help. There was no other way to put it. He needed to be cared for. She wasn’t going to sit around and watch him hurt himself. She wasn’t going to watch him neglect his health. When you need help, your body will do anything it can to get attention. It will cry and scream for the attention that it needs.

She sure as hell knew that his sickness was that way. His body wanted the attention. Craved it. But he wouldn’t let that happen. So his body went against him, no matter how hard he fought. And it would keep going against him until he was mentally stable. People always say that the body is not in tune with emotions, but the truth is, it is. It knew when something was wrong and would send a message out to you to get help.

Emily was torn out of her thoughts when she heard Hotch turn over, letting out a sound that sounded very similar to a whimper. But he remained sleeping, nonetheless. The next sound was a wail, almost like a cry for help. Emily got up, glancing over at Aaron, there were tears running down his face. She gently sat on the bed next to him, running her hand through his hair. “Shh,” She whispered, even though she knew he probably couldn’t hear her. But she knew that he did when his deep brown eyes opened, gazing up at her. “Are you alright?” She asked softly. He nodded slightly, making her aware that he at least a little bit more coherent than he was before.

Suddenly his exp ****ression changed, his eyes become unfocused. He took in a sharp breath, snapping forward with two desperate sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”_ Emily felt the bed shake with the force. “Bless you,” She said. He took another sharp breath, his breath hitching desperately. _“Huh…Huh…Huh”_ He took one final sharp breath, snapping forward with another two sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew! HUH’PSHH’iew!!!”_ He sniffled wetly, feeling his nose run. Emily reached over, grabbing a few tissues out of the box, handing them to Aaron. “Bless you,” She murmured. He took the tissues, blowing his nose harshly. The blowing irritated his throat, making him cough wetly, aiming his head down towards his chest. Emily rubbed his back soothingly, feeling the cough shake his body. When he stopped, she asked, “Are you okay?” He nodded, touching his throat, feeling a shooting pain.

“Yeah,” He said quietly, his voice strained.

“You were crying,” She murmured.

“I was?” He asked, his face looking ashamed.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, you are human, you know?”

“Well…yeah,” He whispered. After a short silence, he asked, “Everything’s alright with the case, right?”

“Oh, Hotch. Don’t worry about the case, they have everything under control.” She said, “All you need to worry about is getting better. That’s your number one priority.”

“I guess you’re right,”

“I am.” She confirmed.

“Does the team know?” Hotch asked suddenly.

“About you being sick, yeah.”

“No, about… well… you know,”

“I think they may.” Emily said. She saw his eyes close, his body stiffen.

“Who did you tell?” He asked calmly.

“Reid,” She stated.

“Why?” He asked.

Prentiss was taken aback. She didn’t exactly expect him to react that way. “It kind of slipped out,” She confessed, biting the inside of her lip.

“I thought you weren’t going to tell anyone about that.” He whispered.

“I’m sorry, but I had to.” She apologized.

“Now everyone will know. You know how much attention that will bring me?”

“Hotch, you’re not thinking straight. You need help, both physically and mentally.”

“But I didn’t ask for you to tell. I thought you were going to keep it a secret.” He muttered.

“Hotch, you need to realize that we care about you. We only want to help you.” She said.

Hotch opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it, “Never mind.” He said, turning away from Emily.

Prentiss felt her heart drop. She placed her hand on his arm to comfort him.

“Don’t touch me,” He snapped.

Emily retracted her hand from his arm, “Okay,” She said quietly. “Can—“ She started but he cut her off.

“Just… just leave me alone…” He trailed off.

Emily got off the bed, walking back to hers, sitting down, focusing on the wall in front of her. She glanced over at him when she heard him sneeze twice, watching his body jerk forward. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”_

“Bless you,” She murmured. She knew that he wouldn’t reply, she had offended him. She had betrayed his trust. She knew she shouldn’t have told Reid. But deep down she knew she had to. The only thing that plagued her is that he probably would push her away. But she knew that she kind of deserved it, even though she didn’t want to admit it.

**~~**

The next time Aaron woke up, he noticed that Emily was staring at the wall, probably lost in her thoughts. He sighed deeply feeling the guilt rush to him. The deep breath made him cough harshly. He sat up, attempting to stop the coughing. This caught Emily’s attention, who glanced over at him, concern etched on her face.

After a few seconds, he felt the vomit rush up in his throat. He rushed off towards the bathroom. Emily followed him quickly, kneeling down next to him, rubbing his back soothingly. When he was sure he was finished, he layed back against the wall. Emily flushed the toilet, careful not to look, then stayed on the floor.

Hotch tried to say something, but his voice only came out in a whisper, “Emily,” He called.

Prentiss still heard it though, “Yeah?” She asked, glancing at him.

“I’m sorry,”

“I’m sorry too,”

“I didn’t mean…” He trailed off, his voice giving out.

“I know you didn’t,” She said, “I shouldn’t have said anything,”

“I—“ He forced out, but he had officially lost his voice.

“Don’t force it,” Emily said, “Come on, back to bed,” She said.

Halfway back, Aaron stopped abruptly, loosely cupping a hand around his nose and mouth, jerking forward with a restrained sneeze. _“Huh’PSHH!”_ He sniffled a few times, still feeling the itch in his sinuses.

“You done?” She asked.

He shook his head, jerking forward once again with two more sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!”_

“Bless you,” She murmured.

Getting back to the bed, she had him blow his nose, hoping it would make the congestion better. “Just relax,” She murmured. She listened to his breathing, thinking about what he had said. Maybe he would let her take care of him the way she wanted to. Hopefully, this would be the plan.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Emily strode into the bullpen, noticing everyone doing their own separate things. Reid and Morgan were talking. JJ and Rossi were having their own conversation. She couldn’t find Garcia. She was probably in her “Batcave”, as they sometimes called it. Prentiss Glanced at Hotch’s office, finding the door closed, the blinds down, and the lights off.** _

_**Emily walked over to JJ, “Where’s Hotch?” She asked.** _

_**JJ sighed, “Uh… I think Rossi would do better at explaining it than me.”** _

_**Confusion was etched on Prentiss’ face, “What’s wrong?”** _

_**“Emily, Hotch left.” Rossi said.** _

_**“Left for today?” She asked.** _

_**“No. I mean he’s not coming back. He left the Bureau.” He informed.** _

_**“What. Why?” She asked quickly.** _

_**Rossi sighed, “Well, you know that Hotch and Haley got divorced, right?”** _

_**“Yeah,”** _

_**“He couldn’t deal with the guilt. He was almost never home because this job is very demanding as you know, and he didn’t want to stay at a place where he knew it ruined his relationship.” He explained.** _

_**“Why would he throw it all away like that?” She asked.** _

_**“I’m not sure.”** _

_**“I tried to help him… I guess I failed…” A frown crossed Emily’s face.** _

_**“Emily, don’t say that. It was his decision.”** _

_**“I should’ve done a better job. I should’ve done better…” She trailed off. She had failed him. She didn’t do enough. It was all her fault.** _

Emily jerked awake, gasping for air. She glanced around the room, looking at her surroundings. She remembered that they were on a case and in the hotel. Prentiss had a sigh of relief when she saw that Hotch was sleeping soundly in the bed next to hers. He was there, everything was alright.

 _“It’s all my fault,”_ The words circulated around her mind, repeating over and over again. She saw the flash of her dream rush before her eyes. Emily shuttered at the thought of her dream becoming true. She had to prevent that from ever happening. She had to be there for him. She needed to be there for him.

It was that moment when she realized that a tear had stained her face. She brushed it away, feeling heat rush to her face. She had been crying. The dream (or nightmare) had hit a nerve deep down in her. She had cared for her boss more than she thought she did. Prentiss had always wanted to make sure that her boss was doing alright. Even from the beginning she wanted his approval, and one way to do that was to make sure he was fine.

Emily stood up and walked over by Hotch. She gently sat on his bed, gazing at how peaceful he looked. It was now that she realized how much younger he looked in sleep. The constant frown on his face vanished, replaced by an untroubled exp ****ression. It was nice to see him in this state. She cherished the times when he wasn’t so uptight. There was innocence in him, but he rarely ever showed it. Prentiss knew it was there and wished that he would show it more. That would show that he was human. He needed to know he was human and that it was okay to not be okay.

Emily gazed at him in sympathy as he mumbled a few words incoherently, tossing roughly. She heard the whimper, then, the clear word, “No,” It was mumbled, but Emily still heard it loud and clear. Repeating it a few times, he tossed once again, facing Prentiss once again. She saw the distress etched on his face. The tears ran down his face as he tossed once again.

**~~**

“Hey Kid, do you know why Prentiss and Hotch haven’t been here?” Morgan asked.

“Why are you asking me?” Reid questioned.

“Rossi wouldn’t tell me, he said that I ‘shouldn’t be worrying about it'.”

“And you expect me to know…?”

“I saw you were talking with Emily the other day.” Morgan said.

Reid sighed. Even though he said that he would tell the team not to worry, he didn’t feel right telling anyone about it. Hotch could get mad at him for releasing this information. “I don’t think I’m allowed to say.” Reid replied quickly.

“Kid, I’m a member of this team too, you know.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me.”

“I can’t.” Reid said.

“Why?” Morgan asked.

“I… I just can’t,”

“Oh, come on.”

“Hotch would get mad at me.”

“Hotch isn’t here now, is he?” Morgan quipped.

“No, but I can’t.”

“Reid,”

Reid took in a deep breath, he wasn’t going to stop. He was going to pester him until he told. Spencer exhaled slowly, “Fine. Emily isn’t here because Hotch is sick and she’s taking care of him.” His words were jumbled and quick.

Concern was etched on Derek’s face, “For how long?”

“Since the case started.” Reid informed.

“Why didn’t he tell anyone?”

“You know how he is with appearances.” Reid said.

“I guess you’re right.”

**~~**

Emily noticed after the first few moments that Aaron was having a nightmare. She placed her hand on his arm, shaking it gently while calling his name. Hotch woke with a gasp, eyes darting around the room. She could hear his breathing in erratic gasps, struggling to become even once again. Emily rubbed his arm gently, “You’re okay, Hotch,” She paused, “Take deep even breaths,” She ordered softly. Aaron started taking even breaths, but stopped abruptly when he turned away, coughing openly.

“Just calm down, it’s alright.”

She heard the words come out in a quiet rasp, “I’m sorry,”

“For what?” Emily asked, confused.

“For being sick,”

Prentiss sighed, “Hotch, you can’t control that. You’re human, it happens.”

The words were so quiet, Emily almost didn’t hear them, “But you’re stuck here with me.”

There was a flash of anger in her eyes, “You are not, and I mean not, a bother to me.” Her tone was firm.

“I feel like an inconvenience.”

Emily pinched the bridge of her nose, not understanding why he wouldn’t give in for a matter of seconds. “Aaron,” Calling him by his first name had the possibility of getting through to him.

Hotch glanced up, “I’m sorry,” He whispered, looking down once again.

Emily’s eyes softened, “Hotch… please stop thinking that you are wasting my time and energy, because you’re not.” She paused, waiting for him to look back up at her, “And if you were with the rest of the team right now, they’d say the same exact thing. Do you want to know why?” She asked.

“Why?” He whispered.

“Because we care about you.” She said gently.

Hotch closed his eyes briefly, opening them once again, he said, “I know,”

“Do you really?” Emily asked.

He nodded, “Yes, I do.”

“Will you let us help you?”

“Yes.”

“You better, I’ll be watching you.” She warned jokingly.

**~~**

Prentiss sat by Hotch for a little while longer, watching him sleep. Her attention was torn from her boss when she heard her phone ring. “Hello?” She answered, walking into the bathroom to not disturb Hotch.

“Hi, Emily,” JJ said.

“What’s wrong?” Prentiss asked.

“Nothing’s wrong. We have a suspect in custody, Morgan’s interrogating him now. It gave me some time to check up on you.”

She paused, “Matter of fact, what’s going on with you and Hotch?” She asked, “I haven’t been told anything.”

Emily exhaled a deep breath, “Things… things have been a little rough.” She admitted.

“With Hotch?” JJ asked.

“Have you ever seen Hotch sick?” Emily asked, coming off in a joking way, so she hoped.

“I didn’t know he was sick.”

“He has been since we started the case. But I think he was before it started.” Emily informed.

“So, he’s that bad, huh?” JJ asked.

“It’s not that he’s bad, it’s just… strange seeing him in such a vulnerable state.”

“He’s actually showing signs of being human?” JJ joked.

Emily laughed lightly, “Yeah…” She trailed off, hearing signs of life from the other room. She glanced in the bedroom after she heard two sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew! Huh’PSHH’iew!!”_ But she saw that Hotch remained asleep.

“That sounds rough,” JJ said.

“You heard that?” Emily asked.

“Yeah,”

“I have a feeling it’s the flu.” Prentiss said.

“Oh, that has to suck.”

“Probably does,”

“Do you want me to stop by?” JJ asked, “I could bring some food for you, and maybe some medicine for Hotch.” JJ offered.

“You don’t have to. I don’t want you to end up getting sick.” Emily said.

“Emily, I have my flu shot, don’t worry. Besides, the quicker he gets better, the better for you.” JJ replied.

“Okay, but I have warned you. It may not be a pretty sight, and he might act like he’s fine.”

“I wouldn’t think anything less of him.”

“I know you wouldn’t.”

**~~**

Hearing the knock on the door, Emily almost immediately answered. “Hey, JJ.” She greeted.

“Hey. I brought you some food. I got you pizza and brought some soup for Hotch, considering the fact that he probably hasn’t been eating a lot.” JJ said.

“Yeah, he really hasn’t.”

When they walked into the bedroom area of the hotel room, JJ immediately saw the huddled, sleeping figure of her boss. Getting closer, she noticed his pale face combined with the red tinge around his nose. “Oh he looks so sick,” She murmured, feeling the nurturing side of her push through.

“I know, I feel so bad for him,” Emily said.

“I brought you a thermometer. I kind of figured you didn’t have one.” JJ offered.

“Thanks, I could really use it.” Prentiss replied gratefully, walking over and sitting on the bed, shaking Aaron’s arm lightly,

“Hotch, I need you to wake up for me.”

After a few seconds, his eyes opened, glancing up at her, “What’s wrong?” He rasped.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just want to take your temperature.” Emily informed. When the thermometer beeped, Hotch took it out and handed it to Emily. “It’s lower than I expected, but still high enough.”

“What is it?” JJ asked.

“101.5,” Emily informed.

JJ’s voice made Hotch turn his head, gazing at the young blonde. “JJ, what are you doing here?” He asked quietly.

“Don’t worry, she offered to bring us food; and medicine for you.” Emily explained.

“I have to get going, the team probably needs me.” JJ announced.

“Alright, thank you, for all of this.” Emily said.

“It’s not a problem,” JJ insisted, “Feel better, Hotch.” She said, walking towards the door.

Prentiss walked over to the door, “Bye,”

“Bye,” JJ replied.

After JJ left, Emily grabbed the medicine out of the bag. NyQuil. She knew he would need this. But she had to get him to eat something first, even though he would fight her. “Hey, Hotch, I’m going to need you eat.” She said.

He made a noise that sounded like a groan, “Do I have to?” He asked, sounding childish.

She sighed, “Yes, you do.” She said.

“Fine,” He mumbled, sitting up.

Emily handed him the soup and plastic spoon. When she was satisfied with how much he ate, she gave him the small cup of medicine. He eyed the cup warily, unsure if he should drink it or not. “Drink it. It will make you feel better.” After he drank it, he handed the cup back to her. “Good.” She praised. Prentiss could see after the first fifteen minutes that Hotch was trying to fight the medicine, attempting to stay awake. “Go to sleep.” When she was sure he was asleep, she started to eat her own food, grateful of JJ bringing it to her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this story. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. :)

When Emily woke up, there was a faint ache in her head. _I probably didn’t get enough sleep,_ she thought, sighing. She rubbed her forehead roughly, yawning quietly. Emily glanced over at Aaron, noticing that he was still knocked out from the Nyquil she had given him the night before. She knew there would be some time before he woke up again and knew that there wasn’t exactly anything to do in that dreaded hotel room. The only thing she could do was make the horrible coffee that they supplied in the hotel room. _It’s better than nothing,_ she sighed.

When the coffee was finished brewing, she poured it into her mug and went to sit back down on her bed. Prentiss cringed at the taste of it, but knew that it was the only thing that would help her wake up fully. Placing the cup down on the bedside table, she leaned against the backboard of the bed. Emily rubbed her nose lightly, feeling her sinuses tingle. Pitching forward suddenly, sneezing openly into her lap, unable to bring her hands to her face in time. _“Huh’psh’iew!”_ She rubbed her nose once again, sniffling wetly.

“Emily, are you okay?” Aaron rasped.

Emily’s eyes widened, she hadn’t known he was awake and had heard her. Clearing her throat, she turned toward him, “Yeah, I’m fine,” She could feel herself getting nervous, looking at his tired, yet concerned gaze.

“Okay…” Hotch trailed off, cupping a hand around his nose, snapping forward with two wet sneezes. _“Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”_

“Bless you,” Emily said, “How do you feel?” She asked.

“Better than yesterday, but still bad enough,” He answered.

“Good. At least you’re feeling b-better...” Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence as she turned her head, sneezing into her elbow. _“Huh’Tissh! Huh’Tishh!!”_

“Bless you,”

“Thank you,” Prentiss couldn’t help but feel fidgety looking into the concerned eyes of Hotch, once again.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Never mind,” Aaron said quietly.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Hotch.” Emily assured.

“But I do,” He whispered.

**~~**

Two days later, the team was on their way home. The remaining members of the team had gotten a confession from the Unsub and found out where his partner was hiding. By that time, Hotch was almost completely better. Emily on the other hand… was far from feeling well. She was forced to admitting she wasn’t feeling well by a concerned Hotch, who had felt bad for infecting her after she had treated him so well. Prentiss was taking advantage of the couch on the jet, sleeping soundly beside the occasional sniff every once in a while. In the back of the jet, Hotch and Rossi occupied two seats furthest away from everyone else.

“You look like you’re feeling better.” Rossi said.

“I feel better,” Hotch admitted.

“I can’t exactly say the same about Prentiss though,”

“Good thing we’re off rotation for the next 48 hours when we get back to DC.”

“The kid will need it.”

A long silence dawned between the two men. Until Hotch said, “Look, I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Rossi asked.

“For snapping at you the other day. My behavior was inexcusable.”

“You had every right to, Hotch. I crossed an emotional line and you reacted the way any other person would. With anger.”

“But why did you keep persisting on getting an answer from me?” Aaron asked.

“Because I knew you weren’t going come out of your shell without a little help.” Rossi couldn’t help but smirk.

“Thank you,” Hotch said, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Anytime."


End file.
